Sansevieria aethiopica Thunb.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Rocky plateau by picnic and camping site, Khami Ruins.

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Synonyms:	Sansevieria caespitosa Dinter Sansevieria scabrifolia Dinter Sansevieria zeylanica sensu Baker
Common names:
Frequency:	Frequent
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial, growing from a thick rhizome, often forming large colonies. Leaves 3-15 in rosette-like clusters, erect or somewhat recurved, 25-40 cm long, thick and leathery with a rough surface, green, mottled with paler bands; apex whitish, spiny; margin whitish with an inner red line. Inflorescence dense spike-like, 20-55 cm long; peduncle 25-45 cm long with several papery bracts4-9 cm long, sheathing at the base. Flowers white, cream or greenish, sometimes tinged purple, opening at night; tube 20-35 mm long; tepals 11-20 mm long. Stamens as long as or slightly longer than the perianth. Fruit 1-3-lobed, each lobe 6-8 mm wide, red when ripe.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	aethiopica: of the Ethiopian region, in this case referring to a historic name for most of Subsaharan Africa since this species is restricted to South-Central Africa and does not occur in modern Ethiopia.
Habitat:	In sandy soil pockets on rock.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 1450 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,W,C,S
Growth form:
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Wednesday 27 June 2012
Literature:	la Croix, I. (2010). Dracaenaceae FZ 13(2) Pages 23 - 24. Laundon, J.R. (1960). Droseraceae FZ 1978 Pages 70 - 71. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 90.

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Other sources of information about Sansevieria aethiopica:

Flora of Mozambique: Sansevieria aethiopica
African Plant Database: Sansevieria aethiopica
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Sansevieria aethiopica
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Sansevieria aethiopica
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Sansevieria aethiopica
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Sansevieria aethiopica
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Sansevieria aethiopica
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Sansevieria aethiopica
JSTOR Plant Science: Sansevieria aethiopica
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Sansevieria aethiopica
Kew Monocotyledon checklist: Sansevieria aethiopica
Tropicos: Sansevieria aethiopica
West African Plants database: Sansevieria aethiopica